1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to an environmental monitoring system utilizing a novel lighter-than-air aircraft having observation cameras and a water ballonet and snorkel system to provide a low altitude environmental observation platform with a security system. More particularly the invention pertains to an electrically powered lighter-than-air aircraft capable of silently hovering at low altitudes of about 5 meters (16.4 feet) to 1,500 (4,921 feet) and moving on command from one area to another to observe and track plant and animal life while providing security to the subject of the study and the novel lighter-than-air aircraft by providing an internet link to concerned subscribers and to local officials and observers.
The novel lighter-than-air aircraft includes a novel buoyancy control system for safely maintaining an untethered or detachably secured lighter-than-air aircraft in close proximity to the ground and for protecting the remote-controlled lighter-than-air airship from local weather conditions. The novel buoyancy control system includes a water ballonet in combination with a snorkel for not only controlling buoyancy but also for temporarily mooring or securing the novel low altitude lighter-than-air airship directly on the surface of a body of water larger than the airship to prevent damage to the lighter-than-air airship.
The novel lighter-than-air airship includes an anti-tethering camera connected to the airship with an anti-tethering cable for making surface and underwater observations. A second anti-tethering camera may also be attached to the end of the novel snorkel for making underwater observations in the vicinity of the snorkel. Both cameras for contacting the surface of the earth as well as cameras mounted in the novel lighter-than-air airship may be used to provide real time data and observations for an environment or ecosystem under study.
The novel lighter-than-air airship provides a dynamic study of the environment or an ecosystem by allowing an ‘on the fly’ definition and redefinition of the subject of the study. This ‘on the fly’ ability is a result of the ability of the novel lighter-than-air airship to silently hover for long periods of time at a particular location and also its ability to move with the herd or to other areas at the will of the scientists or remote observers without disturbing the wildlife while providing data and information simultaneously from both a ground and an aerial perspective.
The novel system and method of the invention also provides a security system for the environment by providing an early warning of poachers or other agents or deleterious factors on the environment by utilizing security cameras tied to the internet and local officials responsible for monitoring the environment. The data provided not only allows an instantaneous warning of immediate danger to the environment to a local monitoring station and to concerned groups through the internet but also long term data on trends and problems through a longer term analysis provided by a master monitoring station. The local and master monitoring stations can also include bidirectional communications links to allow interested local and remote observers to control cameras and move the novel lighter-than-air airship to track other problems or influences upon the studied environment or ecosystem.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Current technology available for monitoring and surveying an ecosystem, habitat or animal group consists of satellites, airplanes and ground observation. Satellite technology is not only expensive but at from about 1,400 km (868 mi) to 36,000 km (22,320 mi) above the earth satellites provide only an overall image of large ecosystems such as the Brazilian rain forest or the African savannah. Geostationary satellites are too far away to provide detailed images of smaller areas of interest such as a lion pride or poaching area.
Medium and Low Earth Orbit (MEO & LEO) satellites orbit closer to the earth and hence can provide more detailed images but they cannot provide continuous coverage because they are constantly circling the earth and only pass over a particular area of interest several times a day. Further, clouds and the heavy moisture content of the air above rain forests obscure the view of even high-resolution sensors by scattering their signals. Further, satellites are a shared resource. The technology is currently too expensive and sophisticated to be specifically configured, or deployed, to monitor just one area of interest.
Airplanes fly closer to the subject of interest and thus provide more detailed images but the noise from their engines disturbs the animals and their exhaust pollutes the environment. An airplane could be dedicated to monitor a specific area of interest but not for 24 hours a day because they have to return to their base to refuel and change crews. Further airplanes suffer the disadvantage of having to constantly move and cannot hover to monitor an area of interest. Use of airplanes or even a helicopter to monitor an area of interest would be very costly proposition, especially in the remote areas of the world where most of the ecosystems or habitats of interest are.
Ground observations, performed by scientists and volunteers, currently provides the most detailed data and images available, but it is impractical and expensive to devote large numbers of trained personnel to monitor specific areas of interest over long periods of time. Ground observations are also limited by the inability to obtain a bird's eye view of the entire ecosystem and to define and redefine the area of study based upon a multi-point relational vantage point as can be accomplished by an airship that allows hovering over areas for extended periods of days and weeks but also allows periodic movement when desired as provided by remote-control and without the intervention of humans into the habitat. Further some ecosystems and subjects such as a rain forest canopy or lion pride are difficult and dangerous for people to monitor continuously over extended periods and others, such as a family of gorillas, may be affected by human observers.
Prior art ground surveillance and monitoring systems include Brogi, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,335 and Thompson U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,201. In Brogi, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,335 a forest fire surveillance and monitoring system having cameras and sensors are mounted on a moveable platform that allows movement over a range of positions covering 360 azimuthal degrees. In Thompson U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,201 a plurality of monitors are distributed throughout a wildlife habitat for providing information as to the location, date and time of the detection of wild game in the surveillance area.
Thompson U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,201 and Brogi, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,355 do not utilize a lighter-than-air platform or a telecommunications link to the internet to protect the environment or wildlife. Further such prior art systems do not employ platforms that are moved through the environment by remote control and provide for the study of the environment simultaneously from the ground and from an elevated platform to provide a bird's eye view of the entire area. Further such prior art does not provide for an ‘on the fly’ perspective of the environment to allow the redefinition of the environment as data and new relationships between the wildlife and the environment are manifested in the course of data collection.
Recently much attention has focused on the panda wildlife population. It has been recently learned from studies that logging and loss of forest connecting areas between isolated groups of pandas have reduced the dwindling reclusive panda population. This data from ground based studies might have been appreciated earlier utilizing the method and system of the invention where data from both the ground and the air are simultaneously collected. Further the method and system of the invention allows not only the collection of data for prolonged periods from one spot, but also allows the novel lighter-than-air platform to move with the wildlife without human intervention or the necessity of moving blinds or camouflaged cameras and surveillance equipment. The novel method and system of the invention in providing mobility and data from both the ground and the air provides for the flexibility of recognizing and assessing new environmental relationships and mobility to study the new environmental factors.
A number of surveillance lighter-than-air platforms have been provided in the prior art for surveillance and observation of endangered forest fire areas and coasts. In Knaupp, et al. Solar Powered Airship Oct. 5, 1993 an airship with video camera utilizing an electric motor for propulsion is provided having two ballonets for buoyancy control. In Wurst, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,205 a separate water gondola is provided in a high altitude platform and in Peterson U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,997 a tethered surveillance airship is disclosed. None of the known prior art provides a lighter-than-air platform having a water ballonet in combination with a snorkel for providing buoyancy control.
In the course of the extensive research conducted leading to the invention it was discovered that a tethered airship presented numerous problems at the low altitudes of less than 25 meters (82 feet) due to the tendency of the airship in wind to nose dive into the ground unless supported by a ground mooring pole. To solve this problem the invention employs an untethered airship designed to continually fly in a geostationary position with detachable securing means such as a snorkel and a breakaway anchor along with anti-tethering ground cables to support cameras and ground equipment.
The novel lighter-than-air platform employs one or more electric engines with propellers for silent operation, solar cells and battery or fuel cell for power, a security system and a water ballonet and snorkel combination for providing for safely securing the novel lighter-than-air platform over large ponds, lakes or other areas of water. Neither Knaupp, et al., Wurst, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,205, Peterson U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,997 nor any of the other known prior art provides a snorkel water ballonet combination for controlling buoyancy and providing for the temporary anchorage of a lighter-than-air platform.
As will be recognized snorkels have been widely used to acquire air for submarines but have not been used to anchor or acquire water for buoyancy control for lighter-than-air airships. One of the more recent submarine snorkel references is Ferguson, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,551. U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,551 does not teach or suggest the novel airship snorkel combination of the invention.
Crompton U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,945,589 and Re 30,129 pertain to a lighter-than-air airship with a water ballonet and water scoops and wheels for providing an amphibious dirigible airship. Crompton U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,945,589 and Re 30,129 do not teach or suggest the use of a snorkel for allowing the airship to hover above water and maintain buoyancy control by drawing a column of water into the snorkel or providing for a smaller diameter snorkel within a snorkel to not only allow the airship to maintain an observation position above the water but also to allow the transfer of a portion of water through the smaller diameter snorkel within the snorkel into the water ballonet for reacquiring ballast and providing for buoyancy control. Further none of the prior art teaches or suggests the remote control of the airship and the remote control of buoyancy at low altitudes.
None of the known prior art provides a security system connected to the internet or provides for the combination of hovering and mobility for studying the environment. None of the known prior art provides for the flexibility of both aerial and ground based observation coupled with the ability to remotely control and move the observation platform and cameras as needed during the collection of data. None of the known prior art provides for the multi level of collection of data and the ability to redefine the environmental area of study as data and causal data links and information becomes available.
Unlike the prior art the invention pertains to an integrated system which links together via wireless communications any environment, ecosystem, habitat, or animal group with interested parties who wish to observe, monitor or study the particular ecosystem, habitat or animal group from not only the ground but also an aerial or top plan view to obtain a more complete understanding of the environment and its related links.
The interested parties may be scientists, environmentalists, children or any other person with an interest in the particular ecosystem, habitat, or animal group and hereinafter they will be referred to as subscribers. The subscribers not only obtain data from the wildlife or environment under study but also become part of the study and part of the security system for protecting the study. As part of the study, the subscribers are at times given access to control the cameras and provide input as to the scope of the study. As part of the security system the subscribers are linked by the internet to the study in a real time communications link to assist in preventing damage to the lighter-than-air observation platform and to a particular ecosystem under study.